England Industrial Airpark and Community, located northwest of Alexandria, La. traces its beginnings back to 1939, when it served as an emergency airstrip for Esler Field, the regional airport serving the Central Louisiana area. However, as the possibility of war in Europe increased, the Army Air Corps leased the facility from the city of Alexandria. The airfield was named Alexandria Army Air Base.
Until 1945 the facility was used as a B-17 bomber combat crew training school. An average of 45 crews per month were graduated from flight training. After cessation of hostilities in Europe in 1945, the base was used to train B-29 crews for duty in the Pacific Theater.

That mission did not last for any length of time, as the war with Japan ended later that year. Early in 1946, the base was placed in a standby status eventually being turned over to the city for use as a municipal airport. With the outbreak of hostilities in Korea, the base was reactivated as Alexandria Air Force Base in 1950. That same year it was assigned to Tactical Air Command.

In June 1955, the base was officially named England Air Force Base in honor of Lt. Col. John B. England, who had been commander of the 389th Bomber Squadron at the base.

The facility was once again close by the Department of Defense on December 15, 1992, and began it's transition to civilian reuse as England Industrial Airpark and Community.

The Central Louisiana community along with the full support of state officials, have pulled together to market and develop England Industrial Airpark & Community to its fullest potential.